10/05/2026
Sorry, this is going to be a long one. . .
Joy Bags for Seniors & Veterans
Life's Memories & More and Peeps have been assisting in this endeavor since my good friend Renee and her crew took it over 7+ years ago. The first year, it was 4 or 5 of us commandeering Renee's living room and kitchen to stuff bags; it has since grown into a well-oiled machine of a dozen or more people coming together at J. Stolar Insurance Agency, Inc.'s barn one evening in December to get the bags together, not including the countless businesses and individuals who donated items to put in the bags and then the distribution of bags.
Many kind and generous Life's Memories & More Peeps from far and wide have made donations to this, including handmade cards to include in the bags. It is getting to be that time of year, and I am sharing what Renee just sent me if anyone is interested in contributing. You are also welcome to drop off items to me, and I will get them to J. Stolar Insurance Agency, Inc.
Renee's Message:
Hello friends and colleagues!!
Many of you know that our office started a small local non-profit years ago. It began when Mieke Crane started collecting items to donate to the local nursing home around Christmas and quickly grew to small bags of goodies delivered to low-income seniors in the area. J. Stolar Insurance and our amazing staff took over the bag part of that, and the rest is history. We are working hard to get this to be an official IRS-designated non-profit organization by Christmas this year! What started as 50 bags has grown to 125 bags for seniors, and last year grew to include additional bags for homebound/low-income veterans. This year, our goal is 175 bags. It’s a HUGE undertaking. Our entire barn fills to the brim with donations, and every year I am incredibly moved by the generosity of our customers, our friends, and our company reps. The most wonderful part of this is hearing the excitement of these seniors to simply be remembered at the Holidays.
This year, we are asking for some of the usual items, and some new. As always, if any of our company friends have leftover marketing items, items with old or misprinted logos, or items ordered in bulk that are taking up space in the closet, we welcome those donations!
What’s new this year? Meal-in-a-Bag. Food insecurity is increasing, and heating prices are a major concern. With many of our seniors choosing between food and heat, a meal in a bag is just a small way we can help! What’s a meal in a bag? It’s a can of chicken, can of green beans, a packet of gravy mix and a packet of mashed potatoes to create chicken and gravy over mashed potatoes and green beans.
Why so early this year? It’s a big ask, AND Amazon has their “Prime Day” October 6 and 7th this year. Items on our Wishlist may be discounted in the next couple of days! Not everything we need is on this list, but it’s a solid start. I hope to add to it tonight before deal days begin.
Why Amazon? Honestly, people from all over send donations to us. It allows a lot of people to help and the more that help, the better the bags we deliver. It’s also an easily manageable list for the volume of people that contribute.
These are just suggestions!!! Have an idea, do it! We welcome ALL donations!!
Where’s the list? https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/1HDL7YN638N0U?ref_=wl_share
Do I have to donate 175 of an item or nothing at all? Absolutely not! If 5 or 10 items are in your budget, we welcome those items! It takes a village to put these bags together!
How can I help? Share this email with friends, family, or colleagues that you think may be interested in helping! Or do you have an idea for a bag item? Tell me!
For anyone who doesn't shop online but want to give you items to donate - Candy Canes, bags of Christmas candy, Dollar Store pantry items like paper towels, tissues, dish soap, laundry detergent are always in demand! Ocean State and Dollar General typically have $5 blankets!
When do all the donations need to be delivered to J. Stolar? Ideally, we would love to have everything here by 12/4/2026. That gives us enough time to inventory, pack, and shop for any remaining items needed.
THANK YOU simply isn’t enough for all you do to make this happen!!!
Sincerely,
Renee, Chris, and the entire J. Stolar crew
